Quick Tip: Adding line numbers to a transcript in MS Word

When I started preparing my interviews for analysis, I had no idea how to add a number at the start of each line. I don’t know if it’s easy on a PC, but how to do this is not obvious when you use MSWord on a Mac.

Because I interviewed 16 participants for my PhD, I had 16 transcripts to prepare for analysis. As I didn’t know how to go about adding line numbers the easy way, I wasted hours numbering lines manually. Then I had the good fortune to speak to Richard Johns at IT Support Services. I explained to him what I wanted to do, and he said that he would investigate for me. About a week later, Richard sent me a link which explained how to do this in a few simple steps. Like magic, I’ve saved hours of time. Thank you, Richard.

Voila! Numbered lines.

Just in case you need it, here is the link. It is for a PC, but you can easily translate for the Mac. Happy magic numbering.

About Anaise Irvine

Dr Anaise Irvine is the Editor of Thesislink. She has a research background in science and narrative. Her PhD research analysed how contemporary films and novels represent genetic engineering as a social justice issue. She has previously researched fictional representations of evolution and quantum mechanics. She has taught such diverse texts as Blade Runner and Bridget Jones’s Diary, and her most obscure skill is being able to turn novels into phylogenetic trees!